Retired police officers under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) say they’ve had enough.
While President Bola Tinubu recently rolled out free healthcare services for low-income retirees and ordered long-awaited pension increases, the officers insist these are not the answers they’ve been fighting for. Their demand is clear: total removal from the CPS.
For them, the battle isn’t just about benefits—it’s about dignity after decades of loyal service.
Buba Danjuma, the spokesperson for the aggrieved group, acknowledged the president’s gesture but said it simply doesn’t go far enough. “We are happy the President heard our cries,” he said, “but we’re not backing down. We want out of this scheme. Anything less is a betrayal of our service.”
Their frustration boiled over once again on July 21, 2025, when they blocked the entrance to the Force Headquarters in Abuja, voicing their anger through placards and chants. It’s not the first time they’ve protested—and likely won’t be the last.
The core of their complaint? They say CPS has failed them.
After spending 35 years in the police force, many claim they were left with pension payouts too meager to survive on. One retired Deputy Superintendent of Police, for instance, reportedly received just ₦2.1 million in gratuity—far less than a judiciary driver who left service with ₦8 million.
“How do you explain that?” asked DSP Lawrence Adekwu, visibly emotional. “After risking our lives for this country, this is how we’re treated? Like slaves?”
What’s more painful, the officers say, is the feeling of abandonment by their own leadership. They accuse the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, of lobbying lawmakers to ignore their plight.
Danjuma pointed to security agencies like the DSS and military, which have already exited CPS due to its shortcomings. “If they could leave, why are we still trapped?” he asked. “Are we not human too? Didn’t we serve this country with the same blood and sweat?”
Although they thanked the President for his latest intervention, their message remains unchanged: they want full exemption from the CPS and a return to the defined benefits system—a model they believe offers more stable and fair retirement support.
As Nigeria continues to debate pension reforms, these retired officers are pleading not just for policy changes, but for empathy.
“We’re not asking for luxury. Just fairness,” Danjuma said. “After everything we’ve done for this nation, we shouldn’t be fighting just to survive.”
